Like Seafoam
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: Asahina meets Komaru at her childhood beach, but despite her efforts, her past won't rest. Asahina/Komaru.


Femslash February 2020 Day 9: Ocean.

Like Seafoam

The beach in her childhood home hadn't changed. Despite the destruction of the entire world, Asahina's tiny bit of the universe remained untouched. The same golden shoreline greeted her as she walked down the jetty, the rocks hot underfoot. Her sandals slapped against her heels and the stones as she made her way to the end, passing fishermen and lovers gazing at the sea. The waves lapped the sides of the jetty, sometimes reaching far up to wet her ankles as she trekked forward, her eyes focusing on the lighthouse coming closer with each step.

It was just as she remembered. The same white paint peeling off, the same angular black cupola with the solar valve twisting with light to guide boaters, it stood tall and proud. She was surprised it hadn't been destroyed. It seemed like a perfect target for missiles or a massive Monokuma to swipe its claws through like a cat to a scratching post. It would have been perfect to set aflame, the jetty and surrounding sand used as kindle while it filled the formerly scarlet sky with pitch black smoke before falling into the ocean.

Asahina fidgeted with the collar of her shirt. Agitation scratched her chin as she craned her neck to take in the lighthouse's full form, the sun peeking out from behind it. She grinded her teeth and wished she had popped in a piece of gum to calm her nerves, but she knew distracting herself wouldn't push back the memories surfacing in her head.

When she was a child, Yuta would race her along the jetty. No matter how many times she tried, he had always beaten her in a foot race. He had claimed his legs were stronger than hers even when she was only seconds behind him. But when it came to the sea, she had been the master and he was the student, swimming lightyears around her whining brother while their parents had laughed and sat on the jetty, smiling at their competitive children.

Staring down at her feet, she sucked in a breath and tasted sea salt in the wind. She dragged her thumb across her palm. Her skin felt coarser from years of battling despair. Raising her head, Asahina pressed her other hand against the lighthouse and felt the paint chip off, staining the spaces between her fingers. She flicked the flecks of wood and lead paint away, her health not mattering in the moment as she breathed it in, her lungs warning her with a pinching sensation that she subsequently ignored.

"Aoi-chan!"

A smile broke out on her face. Her neck cracked as she quickly faced Komaru, who stood up from her spot on the metal bench nestled by the jetty's end. She fixed her tie, the wind whipping it around as she walked over to her, her grin etched on her face by muscle memory.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long," Asahina said, both women sitting down on the bench. She frowned as heat pressed into her thighs and wished she brought longer shorts. Her thin tights were giving her no favors either, and she crossed her legs, relieving some of the sudden warmth.

"Not at all. Your instructions were as clear as day to get here," Komaru replied and slipped off her jacket. She offered it to Asahina, who nodded and stood up. Splaying it out with flicks of her wrists, Komaru set the jacket down, and Asahina sat on it, the relief on her face making Komaru giggle.

She arched her back and looped her arms around the bench, saying, "I haven't been here in so long. It feels like nothing's changed."

Komaru nodded. "Yuta-kun only told me about this place in passing, but it's just as beautiful as he said it would be."

"Did he tell you about our races?"

"Oh, yeah! That's what he talked about when we were escaping the bridge. He said that you were the fastest in the sea. I think he said that he was the fastest on land when you guys raced around the lighthouse." She giggled. "No matter how many times you guys went at it, the results were still the same."

Snickering, Asahina pumped her fist to her chest. "Yep! That's exactly right. And by the lighthouse, I-!"

An itch raced through her body. Her fingers uncurled, tensing as her hand fell into her lap. Her smile wavered, her gaze drifting to the smoothed rocks encompassing the end of the jetty. Voices of families and passerbyers murmured around her, but she couldn't hear their laughter or complaints as they went on their way.

Even though Komaru clutched her shoulder, Asahina found herself lost in a memory. Staring at the lighthouse, she felt her eyelids droop. Weariness tugged at her features. Her lips creased into a frown, her cheeks feeling like they were sagging. She focused on the shadow stretching from the lighthouse out to the sea where the sunlight couldn't reach, where the water glimmered like stars in the deep blue night dark night and remembered.

She had brought Oogami to the lighthouse. Not too long before her second year at Hope's Peak started, she had taken Oogami's hand and guided her along the jetty. They had passed similar fishermen and lovers, but all of her affection was devoted to Oogami. Leaning into her strong arm as they strolled, slipping her hand into hers, and hearing the song of the sea echo around them, Asahina had shared her first kiss with Oogami underneath the cool shade of the lighthouse.

Asahina dragged her hand down her face and clenched her jaw. She thought she could have handled it better, but her heart and mind warred with each other. It was supposed to have been different with Komaru. Trying to start over by bringing Komaru to the place where so much good had happened to her should have been another joyful memory to create, but her past refused to stay at bay, and her heart sank deeper into her stomach, twisting and turning even as Komaru rubbed her back.

"If you want, we can go. We don't have to stay here," she whispered as Asahina gripped the armrest, her palm burning.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmured, avoiding Komaru's gaze. A rueful chuckle tickled her throat as it escaped her mouth. "I thought I could have handled coming here."

"But it's too soon. I understand. It's hard." Komaru bitterly smiled. "I still can't look at hotels or motels without thinking of my confinement." She nibbled on the inside of her mouth. "I can't be in a living room for too long without thinking of my parents."

Asahina fixed her hunch and set her head on Komaru's shoulder. She closed her eyes and breathed in her floral scent, wondering what kind of drugstore perfume she applied. It smelled vaguely of lavender and citrus. Setting her hand on Komaru's thigh, she smiled to herself as Komaru rubbed her back free of the tense knots and cemented the moment to her memory, hoping it would come to mind from time to time during her darkest hours.


End file.
